“I saw my first national competition in 2011 and, ever since, I’ve dreamed of competing on the national level,” said Hayes. “’It was such an honor to win this year against a field of so many accomplished climbers.”

In January 2016, Hayes signed with Petzl’s prestigious athlete team, joining climbing legend Conrad Anker and 14-year-old American prodigy Ashima Shiraishi. At just 17 years old, Hayes has already stood on the podium 11 times with second place finishes at the 2015 Youth World Championships Bouldering and second at the 2015 Youth World Championships Sport.

The Boulder, Colo. native is currently balancing competition climbing with high school classes, art, photography, and outdoor climbing. She also crushes on natural rock. In 2015, she flashed Cryptic Egyptian (5.13c) and redpointed Double Rainbow (5.14a) and Zulu (5.14a) in Rifle Mountain Park, a canyon home to some of North America’s most challenging limestone sport climbing.

“Margo is a dedicated and passionate young woman with a bright future in our sport. She’s pushing the limits of sport climbing and is an incredible role model for other young women,” said Dave Burleson, athlete and event coordinator for Petzl. “I was ecstatic to have her join our team and to see her so deservedly win the USA Climbing Sport National Championship this past weekend.”

Petzl®For over 40 years, Petzl has developed innovative tools and techniques used by those who work and play in the vertical world. Today, the Petzl brand is closely associated with adventure, exploration, rescue, and many notable exploits in the worlds of rock climbing, caving, and alpinism. In the professional market, Petzl is a world leader in work at height, fire and rescue, and tactical equipment and techniques. A family-owned business, Petzl is committed not only to quality and innovation, but also to giving back to the communities that have made us so successful. For more information, visit www.petzl.com.